When Jon Gibson, F368393, retired in 2002 from his job as an over-the-road owner-operator in the trucking industry, he gladly said good-bye to the road construction tie-ups, routine traffic congestion, and fickle Midwestern weather he’d become accustomed to during his 30-year career delivering goods across the country. But he was reluctant to give up one part of his livelihood: his truck.
In the garage behind his Strasburg, Pennsylvania, home, sheltered from the elements, sat his baby, a 1987 Peterbilt.

There’s nothing like coming home, and for many motorhomers, it will feel like old times when they return to Perry, Georgia, for FMCA’s 77th International Convention. This event, to take place March 19 through 22, 2007, at the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter in Perry, will be the association’s fifth convention to be held at this location.
FMCA’s convention — dubbed the “Georgia Jubilee” — will take place in a town named in 1824 for naval Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, whose fleet won a victory over the British in the War of 1812.

We have narrow wardrobes on either side of the island bed in our RV. We use plastic folding cup holders, attached to the lower inside of the wardrobe door, to act as our “nightstands” where we can keep a glass of water or cup of coffee close at hand while in bed.

The Digital Picture Keychain from TAO Electronics Inc. allows users to store and share up to 56 digital images on a compact display unit.
The keychain features an internal 8-megabyte flash drive and a 1.4-inch LCD display for showing the images.

Tiffin Motorhomes, C1717, based in Red Bay, Alabama, has announced numerous changes to its motorhomes for 2007. New roof caps, a super-quiet cooled-air delivery system, ceramic tile, side-view cameras, added sleeping capacity, independent front suspension, and keyless entry lead the long list of standard and optional features consumers can expect to see in Tiffin’s 2007 models.
The company also is expanding its popular front-engine diesel chassis option, introduced in 2006, to a second model line.

Unless you drive a really big motorhome with an incredible amount of interior storage, you need to consider available space when stocking the coach. Back when we traveled in a 22-foot mini-motorhome, it was essential.

Part of the fun of full-timing is sharing travels with loved ones back home. You can snap a picture one minute and have it on your sister’s desktop a minute later.

Who says warm, filling comfort foods have to use every pan in the pantry, requiring hours of cleanup? These snappy, shortcut recipes leave more time for neighboring and sight-seeing while they warm up your winter travels.

There really is no justice in this world. We humans need to shop until we drop in order to look elegant, yet some birds are ready-made to be stunning.

Folks who first read about this chapter always want to know what the initials in its name mean. But those who first meet the chapter members rallying in a campground have a different question: Why do they have furry tails attached to their motorhomes?
The initials W.I.M.B.C.O.A.

“B-3 …. O-65 ….

Dear RV Doctor:
I have an older Thetford toilet and the bowl is leaking water. I took it to the repair shop, and they claimed there was toilet tissue in the groove.

Q: I am a retired diesel engine design engineer and cannot overlook the technical mistakes in the article on diesel engines (“Diesel Talk”) on page 60 of the September 2006 issue of Family Motor Coaching magazine. The author refers to “piston movement …

Dear Editor:
We were very pleased with the September 2006 issue’s “What’s So Bad About The Badlands?” (“Window On Nature,” page 138) and “The Black Hills” (“Baker’s Dozen,” page 140) by Lowell and Kaye Christie, F47246. We saw the South Dakota Badlands scenery this past July and many other portions of the Black Hills.

FMCA’s Web site now is easier to use when you need information about products you see in the magazine. And it’s easier to learn about upcoming FMCA get-togethers by using the site, too.
The Free Product Information request service, introduced in April 2003, enables Family Motor Coaching readers to seek details about advertised products from the companies offering them by completing a request online, instead of filling out and mailing the reader service card that appears in each issue of the magazine.

By the time you read this, it will be time to get ready for the holidays, and the November committee meetings at the FMCA national office in Cincinnati will have concluded. But as I write this, it’s right around the end of autumn.

Whoa, pardner! Put those quarters back in the laundry kitty. The prime reason for visiting this Las Vegas isn’t slot machines.

In 1539, when Hernando de Soto discovered the area around what is now the city of Bradenton, Florida, he brought along enough supplies to start a colony. In fact, the Spanish conquistador arrived with 600 soldiers, more than 200 horses, a herd of pigs, and packs of vicious war dogs, along with nine ships.

Most of us have lived in more than one house. There’s the one we grew up in, the one we raised our children in, and perhaps the cabin we may have rented year after year that still holds sweet vacation memories.

Selling your motorhome isn’t all that different from selling your house. Outside of landscaping and a garage, possibly a basement, and maybe an attic, your coach is like a small home.

Back in the dim recesses of history, when I was a boy, the future was big news. Buck Rogers’ sci-fi movies and the new series “Captain Video” were regular Saturday morning staples on television.

eBay is the world’s biggest yard sale, swap meet, and treasure hunt all rolled into one. If you have a computer, you’ve probably visited it already, simply for curiosity’s sake.

Imagine driving your motorhome to a tropical country. Envision yourself swimming over coral reefs and riding horses through a mahogany jungle.

In 1940 Huntsville, Alabama, was a city that seemed devoted to an agricultural and simple way of life. Its population was 13,000.

Opening and closing the drapes in the motorhome’s cab area each day can become a real pain. So we bought a plain extending curtain rod, sawed off the ends, and placed large suction cups on each end.

Weather Channel Stormtracker VEC191 weather alert radioThe Weather Channel Stormtracker VEC191 weather alert radio from Vector Products Inc. can keep you informed of impending severe weather conditions wherever you travel.
The VEC191 provides public broadcasts of all-hazard emergency alerts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Coach-Net, C4055, based in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, awarded Henry and Erika St. Jean, F99337, of Clearwater, Florida, $1,000 worth of free fuel from Flying J as the winners of Coach-Net’s second “Fueling the Passion” sweepstakes during FMCA’s 76th International Convention in Charlotte/Concord, North Carolina, this past August.
“Erika and I have owned several motorhomes over the past 20 years, traveling through this beautiful country and Canada,” said Mr.

There’s something about traveling through East Texas that makes you feel as though you’re coming home. Maybe it’s the sweet tea at McDonald’s or the crepe myrtle in the center divider of the highway.

For many RVers it’s time to head south to follow the sun, while others love the crisp cold and mild flurries of early winter camping. Here are some roadworthy recipes to warm your galley.
Apple Stuffing
Heat this stuffing in ramekins or in edible bowls, such as red or green pepper halves.

This is a terrific time of the year to visit southeast Arizona. You’re likely to have good weather, and encounter fewer tourists.

Whenever we aren’t on the road, our “window” on nature is often the sliding glass door at home. We set up our office so that we both have an easy view of the “back forty,” where we often get four-legged visitors.
Earlier this year, Lowell caught some motion out of the corner of his eye.

With Thanksgiving coming up later this month, consider this column a cornucopia of reminders, news, and views for those on the go.
One more time
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in Washington, D.C., more than 100,000 fires each year are associated with cooking equipment, many from burners left unattended.

Bans on parking anywhere except in licensed campgrounds. Owners’ rights to park on their property weighted against neighbors’ concerns about safety and aesthetics.

Owners of Winnebago or Itasca brand motorhomes (or owners of other brands who are simply interested in the group) now can join fellow enthusiasts in a relatively new chapter in the Northwest Area of FMCA.
The Win It NW chapter gets together for social reasons and to share technical information about these particular brands of motorhomes. It was formed during the Northwest Area Rally this past June in Albany, Oregon.
Since that first meeting, chapter members have spent time enjoying each other’s company in a variety of ways.

Former Western Area vice president George Rogers, F103097, passed away on August 21, 2006, at the age of 83 after a lengthy battle with cancer and heart disease. He died peacefully at his home at the Anaheim Hills Club in Anaheim Hills, California, with his wife of 65 years, Ann, and his family by his side.
The Rogerses began motorhoming in 1978, but didn’t discover FMCA until 1988 when George picked up a copy of Family Motor Coaching magazine at his doctor’s office.

Dear RV Doctor:
I need to install a pod on my Coachmen type C motorhome. I’m very limited in storage space (like none at all).

In the August 2006 “Tech Talk” column, it was reported that Mr. Louis King of Decelomatic Corporation had passed away and his company was no longer in business.

Dear Editor:
In December 2005 we bought a 40-foot Newmar diesel pusher with four slideouts. We love the coach.

FMCA has not sent out a mailing to the entire membership for many years. With more than 120,000 member families today, it would be costly to do so.

FMCA’s Convention Department director Jerry Yeatts, two other staff members, and selected members of the Convention Committee just returned from our planning visit to the Georgia National Fairgrounds & Agricenter in Perry, Georgia. This was our final visit before the 77th FMCA International Convention, which will be held March 19 through 22, 2007.
I am glad to report that the grounds have been greatly improved since FMCA held its last convention there in 2005.

On August 14, 2006, the Governing Board of FMCA approved the following Bylaws Amendments, as noted in bold type, in Charlotte/Concord, North Carolina. Per Article XX, Paragraph 3 of the FMCA Bylaws: Proposals to amend the FMCA Bylaws shall be adopted by a 65% affirmative vote of all votes cast by the Governing Board.

Article VIII, Paragraph 4 – Executive Board
This article was amended to read:
(4) Any voting FMCA member, other than a member who is employed by or holds a management interest in an RV-related association or company, is eligible for election to the Executive Board.

It’s a rare person who doesn’t find the sea and sand tempting, especially during the cold months up north. While Alabama’s shoreline may not be the first place that pops to mind when planning a winter getaway, don’t overlook it.
But what about the devastating consequences of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf coast? You might assume that Alabama’s coast was adversely affected, too.

You can learn so much more about a town just by driving around its downtown area. In the snowbird town of Mesa, Arizona, all you need to do is observe the street signs, and you begin to learn its history.

After nine years of traveling the country in our motorhome, I was beginning to feel like a migrant couch potato. Once I discovered Nordic walking, a flexible exercise routine that I can easily fit in while traveling, I turned the corner on losing weight and started feeling more energized.
I was walking for exercise before, but now I am walking smarter, not harder.

Global positioning system (GPS) technology can be called rocket science, and, in fact, it really is. Currently 24 GPS satellites are orbiting the earth at an altitude of approximately 12,000 miles.

To help keep the sewer hose connection in place, I created this stabilizer using 1½-inch PVC pieces. The unit is simple to use, easy to make, and inexpensive.

Bark’n Boots Grip Trex dog bootsMotorhomers who appreciate the companionship of their dog during outdoor adventures can help make the pet’s experience safer and more enjoyable with Bark’n Boots Grip Trex dog boots from Ruff Wear.
The boots feature upper design and construction that are said to maintain a consistent size, shape, and fit to assure that the boots stay on the dog’s paws for continued comfort. The soles are made of high-performance Vibram material with omnidirectional treads and traction zones customized for the demanding needs of active dogs.

Casino Camping: Guide to RV-Friendly CasinosThe second edition of Jane Kenny’s Casino Camping: Guide to RV-Friendly Casinos ($16.95, Roundabout Publications) is now available for those who like to combine their love of RV travel with the thrill of casino gaming. The 272-page book includes hundreds of RV-friendly casinos throughout the United States that either provide a campground as part of their facility or allow free overnight parking.
Many of today’s new casino campgrounds provide RVers with upscale, modern facilities along with the restaurants, pools/spa, golf, and gaming typically found at casinos.

The name “Impulse” conveys excitement and spontaneity, a perfect way to describe a motorhome and the adventures it offers. At the same time, this breezy moniker belies the engineering, effort, and forethought that designers at Winnebago Industries have put into the company’s new Itasca Impulse product line, one that opens up the RV lifestyle to many.

Pumpkin Flan
This is my adaptation of a recipe from Milagros Collazo, chef at the award-winning Ristorante Tuscany in the San Juan Marriot Resort on the Condado beach in Puerto Rico. It works beautifully with acorn squash, which goes from oven to table.